Jackson County Drug Task reports ‘largest bust ever’

By Kate McCardell

Published: August 27, 2007

Authorities involved in a large-scale narcotics investigation have released the names of 53 suspects netted for the sale or distribution of crack and crack cocaine.

In a press conference Friday, Jackson County Sheriff John McDaniel reported on an investigation by the Jackson County Drug Task Force that began 21 months ago with one person suspected of trafficking narcotics.

“But in that investigation, we began to find more and more people involved,” McDaniel said.

The investigation on one suspect soon evolved into Operation Undertaker, resulting in 20 arrests and convictions for federal narcotics violations.

According to a JCSO report, “The network of individuals who had been identified not only delivered and distributed the drugs into Jackson County, but they also participated with other suspects in the trafficking of those drugs to and from neighboring Calhoun and Leon counties, as well as Dothan, Columbus, Ga., Atlanta and Texas.

In addition to the 20 arrests, the task force seized more than 16 kilograms of cocaine and about $117,590 in cash.

McDaniel said that cash seized in busts such as this is used to fund the task force. He said the total value of the seized cocaine comes to about $400,000.

McDaniel said the arrests did not stop at Operation Undertaker. The success of the operation, he said, led to a street-level investigation dubbed Operation Crackdown.

The investigation of street-level distribution of sales of cocaine and crack cocaine in Jackson County began about six months ago and is ongoing.

Marianna Police Chief Lou Roberts said the most recent arrests in the operation were made last weekend.

That brought the current total of arrests for the sale of controlled substances to 33, with one of those individuals being a juvenile.

Search warrants during the operation have resulted in the recovery of crack cocaine, cocaine, marijuana, firearms and items of drug distribution paraphernalia.

Roberts and others involved credited the success to joint efforts of multiple agencies: JCSO; Marianna, Graceville and Cottondale Police Departments; FDLE; United States Drug Enforcement Administration; Panama City Field Office; Calhoun, Leon and Columbia County Sheriff’s Offices; Dothan Police Department and the Griffin/ Spalding County Drug Task Force.

The North District of the State Attorney’s Office provided case preparation and prosecution.

Those persons arrested in Operation Undertaker are as follows:

Thomas Bell, 3/4/72, sentenced to 164 months in Federal prison, 120 months probation; Cedricin Bellamy, 8/27/71, sentenced to 4 years Federal prison, 5 years probation; Eric Home, 5/30/81, sentenced to 167 months Federal prison, 60 months probation; Raneesha Hunter, 11/28/81, sentenced to 120 months Federal prison, 60 months probation; Brandon Johnson, 1/5/76, sentenced to 180 months Federal prison, 60 months probation; Orise Kendall, 12/5/84, sentenced to 48 months Federal prison, 60 months probation; Ezekial Lee, of Dothan, Ala., sentenced to 180 months Federal prison, 60 months probation; Anthony McNealy, 8/22/64, sentenced to Life in Federal prison plus 120 months; Michael Tensley, 5/12/76, sentenced to Life in Federal prison plus 10 years; Brandon Stephenson, 53 months in Federal prison, 96 months probation.

Perry L. Johnson Jr., 3/12/85, sentenced to 236 months Federal prison, 60 months probation; Richard A. “Ricky” Adderson, 10/14/75, sentenced to 240 months Federal prison, 120 month; Michael Holton, 2/26/73, sentenced to 240 months Federal prison, 120 months; Elvis Jennings, 8/1/59, sentenced to 120 months Federal prison, 60 months probation; Nakeesba Lawton, of Dothan, Ala., sentenced to 120 months Federal prison, 60 months probation; Calvin Johnson, 2/1/72, sentenced to 120 months Federal prison, 60 months probation; Soloman Smith, 12/18/69, sentenced to 240 months Federal prison, 120 months probation; Arthur Williams, 8/17/65, sentenced to Life in Federal prison, 120 months probation; Angela Wright, of Atlanta, Ga., sentenced to 360 months Federal prison; Nicholas McCrae, sentenced to 18 months Florida Dept. of Corrections.

Those persons arrested so far in connection with Operation Crackdown are (dates of birth included and number of times charged with sale of crack cocaine): Reginald Antion Baker, 9/24/1978, (2); Aundra Youlet Bell, 3/12/1964, (1); Cyrus Brown Jr., 8/9/1982, (2); Cyrus Brown Sr., 6/28/1957, (1); Steven Christopher Dawson, 8/5/1982 (4); Davan D. Dickey, 12/3/1980, (7); Eddie Ray Henderson, 12/13/1963, (2); Quinton Cornell Jackson, 11/15/1983, (2); Tyrone Johnson, 1/2/1954, (1); Demerious T. Johnson, 9/8/1977, (1); Roderick Bernard Kelly B/M DOB 12/26/1959, (2); DeWayne S. Lawrence, 12/16/1981, (1); Kesa L. Massaline, 10/25/1979 (1).

Ronald Morris Maxey, 5/24/1959, (5); Brian Lamar Rollinson, 1/28/1983, (1); Kenneth DeWayne Saffold, 9/29/1972, (1); Robert Wendell Scott, 3/27/1971, (2); Rinzard Smith, 9/6/1954, (1); Julie A. Speraw, 5/13/1966, (1); Glenn L. Williams Jr., 10/7/1980, (2); Phillip Connely Wilson, 12/12/1979, (1); Anthony Antonia, 5/5/1988, (1); Michael Elvis, 3/31/1974, (1); Michael Damar Daughty, 1/26/1978, (1); John Henry Mason Jr., 11/5/1960, (1); Christopher Jerrad White, 8/26/1981, (2); Frederick Gerald Gilbert, 1/4/1976, (1); James Lamar Livingston, 7/16/1979, (1); Jimmie Byrd, 1/4/61, (1); Dwight Holland, 7/7/78, (1); Samuel Silas, 7/19/1961, (2); Robert L. Floyd Sr., 3/4/1962, (2).